The Players to Watch as Golf Tours Join Forces
By TOI Staff June 13, 2023 Update on : June 13, 2023
While the exact details of the deal are yet to become clear, most golf fans are pleased at the news that their sport is to be reunited. Everyone wants to see the best players competing against each other, and it’s not been quite the same since LIV Golf split the circuits.
Now that LIV, the PGA Tour, and the DP World Tour are set to become one entity, each tournament will be that much more competitive. But who are the strongest players coming back from LIV to challenge old friends and rivals?
US Open Contenders
LIV golfers have been allowed to compete in the four Major tournaments, subject to qualification. We’ve already seen Brooks Koepka claim the PGA Championship, and he’s an obvious threat on the new, combined tour.
Other standout golfers will join Koepka among the challengers for the 123rd US Open in June. Behind the favourite Scottie Scheffler at 15/2, US Open betting markets show Koepka at 9/1, alongside Jon Rahm who is available at that same 9/1 figure.
Other LIV Golfers with some of the top golf odds include Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau. Those players will depart from the Tour once the US Open comes to a conclusion but, under the new deal, they are likely to return on a more regular basis.
Major Pedigree
Each of the LIV golfers mentioned so far has won at least one Major tournament. Cameron Smith claimed the Open Championship last year, and his departure from the PGA Tour was one of the biggest blows.
Smith’s win at St Andrews was his first Major, and that’s a mark matched by Bryson DeChambeau. The man known as the Scientist is looking to add to his solitary US Open triumph in 2020.
Brooks Koepka’s win at the PGA Championship in 2023 was his fifth Major overall. He’s still looking for wins in the US Masters and Open Championship, but he’ll be a threat at the ‘big four’ for many years to come.
Dustin Johnson claimed his first Major title with victory at the US Open back in 2016. He was a dominant figure on Tour for many years, and it’s a surprise that his US Masters win in 2020, is only his second Major.
Other returning Major winners will include Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson. Any major sport needs to be at peak performance and the announcement will see golf get back to full strength.
Golf Reunites
A number of LIV golfers left the PGA Tour due to the demands made on their schedules. They wanted to appear in fewer tournaments and spend less time away from home. Whatever the new deal brings, it will have to keep reduced commitments in mind.
The fine details will need to be worked out, but the announcement is welcomed by golf fans who simply want to see the best action on the course. There are many stars set to return, but it’s those Major winners who will bring extra excitement back to the sport.
Read more: The Players to Watch as Golf Tours Join Forces